Media release

RACGP launches ‘The good GP never stops learning’ campaign

15 June 2015

A new campaign highlighting the vital work of GPs is being launched this weekend as Australia’s health system faces the double whammy of an ageing population and rapid rise in rates of diseases such as diabetes.

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners’ (RACGP) campaign will remind people that when it comes to their health and that of their families, it is their GP who can be relied upon to get them better, stay well and prevent further illness.

“As GPs, we never stop learning and are experts at looking after the health of Australians, helping our patients with a wide range of medical conditions throughout their entire lives,” RACGP President Dr Frank R Jones said.

“GPs provide safe, quality, and efficient care – which can cost up to 10 times less than similar care in a hospital.”

The widespread media campaign will include TV and digital advertisements and the rollout of promotional materials to RACGP members to display in their practices.

The RACGP is the peak body for Australian GPs, has almost 30,000 members and eight out of 10 GPs are with the RACGP.

“Collectively, GPs see more than 80% of Australians each year. We develop life-long relationships with our patients, often from when they are children right through until they have their own families and beyond.

“On this lifelong journey, we have the privilege of helping people with everything from the flu to pregnancy, diabetes, sleeping problems, mental health illnesses and cancer.

“GPs are also the key to preventative health and we provide our patients with life-saving services such as vaccinations and skin cancer checks,” Dr Jones said.

He said the work of GPs was more important than ever because Australia’s health system was facing unprecedented demand due to an ageing population and growing rates of chronic disease.

The campaign follows the release of the RACGP’s new primary healthcare funding model that aims to better support patients and reduce the need for expensive hospital treatment. A public consultation period on the model was recently completed and the RACGP is now refining the model based on the feedback received.